Doug Fischer

Chief editor

Morales Out-Points Pacquiao in a Classic
By Doug Fischer (March 20, 2005) Photo © German Villasenor

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LAS VEGAS, March 19 - "Smart" money said Manny Pacquiao was the man to bet on coming into tonight's 130-pound showdown with Erik Morales. Even the expected influx of Mexican money the day of the fight was not enough to sway the odds in favor of the former three-division champion from Tijuana. But Morales reminded the gamblers of one of boxing's fundamental truths with his dramatic unanimous decision over Pacquiao in front of more than 14,000 electrified fight fans at the MGM Grand's Garden Arena - never, ever underestimate the heart of a champion.

Especially if that champion is a born warrior.

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Especially if that warrior is from Mexico.

Especially if that Mexican was raised in one of the toughest sections of Tijuana.

Especially if that Tijuanan was born in a boxing gym.

Morales, who improved to 48-2 (34) with arguably the biggest win of his career, was born to fight.

Just when it seems like he's fought his last 12-round war, he gives fight fans another one. And tonight's great fight, which Morales won by a tight-but-just 115-113 tally on all three official scorecards, ranks right up there with his first and third classic tussles with arch rival Marco Antonio Barrera.

Where does he find the strength? Where does he find the spirit? Where does he find the hunger after all these years, all the world titles won and all the millions he's put in the bank?

Boxing pundits will never know the answers to those questions, but they will relish witnessing Morales' courage and resiliance iin the ring, and they will probably grow old waiting for him to grow old.

Coming into the fight, Pacquiao was thought to be the faster, stronger, fresher fighter.

Well, he was faster. But Morales appeared to be the stronger fighter throughout the fight, knocking Pacquiao back on his heels with straight right hands in almost every round. Who was the fresher fighter? After five rounds of action, it appeared to be the Mexican veteran. Pacquiao's vaunted punching power had diminished after absorbing hard jabs, uppercuts and one-two combiantions from Morales. Pacquiao's right eye was cut by a clash of heads (that was officially ruled to be from a punch), and for one tense minute as the ringside doctor examined him, it appeared that he would opt not to continue because of blurred vision. But there is no quit in Pacquiao, who fell to 39-3-2 (30). The Filipino bomber has a heart the size of Manilla.

After being rocked momentarily by an uppercut in the first round, Pacquiao fired back with a two-fisted attack to Morales' body that doubled the Mexican over before the bell. Both fighters showed respect by not charging straight ahead in their customary styles. Morales stood his ground in the center ring, boxing smartly behind an accurate jab. Pacquiao waited for opportunities to dart in and out with counter punches. The match-up wasn't the all-out war that many expected over the first half of the bout, but the atmosphere was electric and there was enough back and forth
action to thrill the sold-out arena even though Morales seemed to control most of the rounds.

Pacquiao's rally was the story of the second half the bout. Just when it seemed that he was discouraged and out of steam following the fifth round, Pacquiao stormed out of his corner like wildfire at the start of the sixth. He carried this desperate energy into the seventh round, which featured many furious exchanges.

Morales took the eighth on the strength of a series of big right hands. Pacquiao came back with quick one-two combinations but Morales landed the heavier blows. The two traded monster rights in the ninth - Pacquiao's hook vs. Morales' cross. The action in the 10th was brutal. Pacquiao teed off with blistering combinations, but Morales had the Filipino reeling with a series of rights before Pacquiao somehow stopped on a dime to deliver a hard left. The two traded bombs until the end of the round when Morales switched to southpaw and landed a couple of hard jabs.

Morales controlled the 11th round, but his success with the lefty stance in the 10th almost cost him the close fight. Morales switched back to southpaw at the start of the 12th round, which left him open for Pacquiao's right hook that landed repeatedly, buzzing him and driving the crowd absolutely crazy.

It was a bad move by Morales, who would have had to settle for a draw had he been dropped by Pacquiao in this round, but the rise his struggle got from the crowd is why he does what he does.

"I probably could have boxed more in this fight," Morales said at the post-fight press conference, "but sometimes I need to put a little flavor in the fight, so I decided to stand and trade more. My promoter always tells me that I make my fights more difficult than they should be, but they are not dificult, they are fun for the public."

There's no doubt about that.

Pacquiao's bone-deep cut over his right eye will keep him out of the ring for many months, leaving Morales free to consider a fourth fight with Barrera or a move to 135 pounds in an attempt to become the first Mexican fighter to win world titles in four weight classes.

Whatever the purest warrior in the sport decides to do, it's best not to count him out.

"If you were someone who did not believe in me before this fight," Morales said, "I hope that you do now."

THE UNDERCARD

For a guy who entered the ring sucking on a lollypop wearing cornrows and a knee brace, former two-time 108-pound titlist Jorge Arce is one fearless little warrior. Arce improved to 39-3-1 (29) and picked up the WBC's "interim" flyweight title with a rousing 10th-round stoppage of top contender Hussein Hussein. The two flyweights unleashed bombs from the opening bell, Arce hurt Hussein with a hook in the first round, but the Australian-based fighter was able to stun the Mexican before the bell. Hussein, who dropped to 26-2 (20), won the next two rounds by landing clean uppercuts and crisp counter combinations.

But Arce raged forward like a little bull, attacking Hussein's body and punishing the Jeff Fenech-trained fighter in his own corner in the fourth round. Arce continued the bum rush in rounds five and six, landing wild hooks and crosses while Hussein fired back with accurate uppercuts and body-head combinations. Just when it appeared that Arce, who bled freely from a cut over the bridge of his nose, would overwhelm Hussein, the Australian turned the tide in the seventh by out-landing and out-maneuvering his tormentor.

But Arce raged back again, taking the eighth round with two-fisted attack. The two stood and traded non-stop in the brutal and bloody ninth, but a lead hook from Arce at the start of the 10th round took the steam out of Hussein who reeled around the ring but hung tough under Arce's attack until forced to one knee. Fenech stepped on the ring apron at this moment and signaled to referee Vic Drakulich to end the fight at 2:07 of the round.

In the opening bout of the televised portion of the card, Martin Castillo retained his WBA 115-pound title with a unanimous decision over former flyweight titlist Eric Morel. Castillo, who improved to 28-1 (16), nearly shutout Morel, as all three judges scored the bout 119-109 in favor of the Mexico City native.

Castillo dominated the first seven rounds of the bout with a busy two-fisted attack highlighted by heavy body shots, impressive defensive moves (feints, head and upper-body movement, and shoulder rolls) and fancy footwork. Morel, who dropped to 35-2 (18), tried his best to rally in the late rounds, mauling a tiring Castillo and landing clean one-two combiantions. But Castillo, who suffered cuts and swelling aorund both eyes, reaserted himself in the final two rounds.

Castillo, one of the best all-around technicians in boxing, has a couple of attractive future matchups with Jose Navarro and the winner of Ivan Hernandez-Fernanado Montiel (a WBO title fight that takes place next month).

Lightweight curiosity Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. improved to 17-0 (12) by bludgeoning Ryan Maraldo to a third-round technical stoppage. The 18-year-old son of the Mexican ring legend showed good tecchnique and balance, but much in the way of speed or power. Still, his punches do damage as the bloody face of Maraldo, now 19-16-1, can attest to. Chavez Jr. already has a sizable following and he seems to be steadily developing, but he's probably at least a year and a half away from stepping up his competition.

NON-TELEVISED UNDERCARD

In a very good six-round fight betwen two tall and rangy young junior welterweights, power-punching prospect Mike Alvarado improved to 8-0 (7) with a close, hard-fought decision over gutsy swtich-hitter Hilario Lopez, who dropped to 7-3 (5). Alvarado, a strong fighter out of Colorado recently signed by Top Rank, won by unanimous scores of 58-56 (twice) and 58-57.

Alvarado landed the heavier blows during the fight employing a stalking style similar to that of Kermit Cintron, while Lopez was the busier, more consistent fighter. Lopez hurt Alvarado with anuppercut in the second and tried his best to end the bout, but the undefeated fighter battled back before the round ended. Alvarado hurt Lopez in the final minute of the sixth round.

Polish heavyweight prospect Albert Sosnowski improved to 36-1 (22) by making short work of Travis Fulton, stopping the stocky midwesterner in the second round of a scheduled eight. The muscular but mechanical Sosnowski dropped his rolly polly opponent in the first and second rounds before referee Toby Gibson
stepped in. Fulton dropped to 10-9 (10).

In the opening bout of the evening, Filipino junior bantamweight prospect Z Gorres improved to 19-1-1 (10) with a technical first-round stoppage of Filipino-American prospect Glenn Donaire, who dropped to 13-2 (8) after telling referee Jay Nady that he couldn't see straight after an accidental clash of heads. Donaire was sent to the canvass in pain seconds into the eight-round bout after absorbing a hard but unintentional headbutt from Gorres. Donaire took a few minutes to clear his head, but was immediately dropped (in a flash knockdown) by a quick counter right hook
from Gorres as soon as the fight resumed. Donaire told Nady and his corner that he "couldn't see", promptly ending the bout and sending his brother/cornerman Nonito into a rage.